Create music and animation by tapping the keys on your keyboard with Patatap. Choose any letter from A to Z to bring your screen to life with sounds, lasers, and motion. Press the space bar to change everything up including sounds, background colors, animations, and motions. Be careful...creating interesting mixes may become addictive with Patatap! There is an app version, but only the web version is free.

In the Classroom

Patatap is perfect for your interactive whiteboard or projector. Just bring up the on-screen keyboard and play away! Use sounds and animations to refocus student attention or as a short brain break. Allow students to explore and experiment with sounds and animations during indoor recess or free time. Challenge students to create their own short mix of sounds to accompany multimedia projects. Students who find themselves "musically challenged" will find success in creating short mixes using Patatap. This site is prefect to teach sound and rhythm in music class! Use Patatap as a memory game: create any sequence and challenge students to come recreate the same sequence on your interactive whiteboard. Discuss the various background colors and "themes." Do different colors elicit different forms of sound or emotion? Have students write a journal entry about their favorite color scheme and animations. Small groups of students on individual laptops with speakers could create an actual "band" together! Record the band's sounds using an iTouch or even a mobile phone. As a classroom management tool, create certain sound sequences as cues for activities or transitions. Challenge your gifted students to create a system of musical notation for Patatap that includes both the keyboard symbols/letters and a way to indicate the rhythm. Use Patatap during poetry units to help students hear poetic meter, such as iambic pentameter. Use Patatap as an accompaniment/study aid for auditory learners to memorize spelling, states and capitals, and more.

Bring music into your math lessons! Appeal to your auditory learners with short samples of math Songs for Learning. Choose from three different CD titles to view song titles with links to download a small portion of each song. Download in wma, mp3, or Realaudio format. Titles cover a range of math topics from number lines through the Pythagorean Theorem. Although the CDs are for sale, you can listen to the snippets for free.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Download and use sound files to introduce topics and units in your math class. Challenge older students to finish writing the songs. Try to create your own songs about math concepts. Use tunes (and sound files) from Sing Along Songs, reviewed here.

Cut any video into "bite sized" chunks. Edit and splice together an existing video. You can even make a segment "looping" or repetitive to see it over and over without rewinding (very useful if you are learning to play a musical instrument). Click on the Explore tab at the top right and you will see several categories and sample videos others have made. While watching the video loop, click on the button at the bottom to change and watch the other steps. There are also several tutorial videos. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable. You could always view the videos at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid, reviewed here, to download the videos from YouTube.

In the Classroom

There are many uses for this tool in the classroom and for the self-directed learner. For example, in music or band class, use your projector or interactive whiteboard to share one of the examples under the Explore tab, and musical instruments. Create a class account or let students set up their own accounts if school policy permits. Then allow students to use individual computers to find the instrument they are learning. Alternatively, post the URL for the site on your class webpage for students to view at home. World language students can find a conversation in a language they are learning and watch it in segments or repeatedly. P.E. teachers and coaches can use this tool to show correct movements over and over. Science teachers can use this tool to show repeated steps of a complicated lab experiment. Play and replay videos of cells dividing or of a motion experiment so students can see it over and over to analyze what is happening. In Art class, play and replay videos of painting or other techniques. Any teacher can take a YouTube video and cut it down to just the segments you want to show in class or post the URL for students to watch at home. Share your videos by posting to Facebook, Twitter, or Google. You can also share with your class by signing into StepUp.io and sharing from your saved videos.

Bring the world of music videos into your classroom with this extensive collection of music videos hosted on YouTube but sorted and indexed by Huzzaz. Although the site offers a large range of current music in many genres, find the best part of the collection, for classroom use, in the Throwback Machine. Follow that link to find videos set to the top 100 songs from every year back to 1960. Click on any thumbnail to hear the original recording artist and view videos. Some video links contain song lyrics and background information on the song or artist. Hover your mouse over each thumbnail to find these. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable. You could always view the videos at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid, reviewed here, to download the videos from YouTube.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Include the Throwback Machine as part of modern history lessons to help students understand the culture of the period. Have students use ClipNabber, reviewed here, to grab favorite clips from online video sources such as Huzzaz (click to their YouTube page to get direct links) and other YouTube sources to include in multimedia projects. Challenge students to create a presentation using Prezi, reviewed here, and include videos discovered on this site. Have students create timelines (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Capzles, reviewed here. Have students make a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools, reviewed here. Embed a video from this site onto your webpage or blog, and ask students to explore other events and famous people from a time period.

Create and personalize a music playlist using Musicovery. Hover your mouse over different areas of the mood pad to define your radio settings of energetic, dark, positive, or calm. Narrow choices by different genres such as pop, soundtracks, world music, and more. A song list starts playing once you selected the mood. Create an account to save favorites for use later.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Be sure to share this link with students and parents looking for less distracting sounds while brainstorming or working. Note that songs with words will probably distract, so you may want to stick to classical or other instrumental options. Reading a book to the class or conducting a science lab? Turn up your speakers and use calming sounds as mood music to set the stage for your story. Play a few minutes of relaxing sounds before a major test. Let a student "DJ" choose a class relaxation or creativity soundscape. If you have "silent reading" time in your class or school, calm music will help students to focus. As you talk with students about discovering their learning styles, offer this site as a suggestion for them to try while prewriting or studying for tests. Emotional support and autistic support teachers may want to experiment to see if these sounds can help their students.

Learn fascinating information in video format on a plethora of different topics. As you click through, click FREE at the top of each category to se only the free offerings. Choose from categories such as Game On, Curious 52, Art and Photo, Smarty Pants, Fit and Active, and Health and Beauty. There is so much more: Learn to Code, Great Outdoors, Popular, Fancy Pants, Around the House, Staff Picks, Pocket Perfect, Language, Crafting, Green Thumb, Software, Tasty Treats, Song and Dance, Business Savvy, and Party Time. Each video has a clickable "timeline" under it where you can read about the video, find lessons, make comments, find related topics, and see assignments. Teach others your skill or talent. Send Curious cards to teachers or others to show what you know. Be aware, not all of the video clips are free.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Check out the offerings for videos that support or extend your curriculum. Have your students find a lesson to learn or even a lesson to teach. Be sure to show them where to click "free" to narrow the listings. After previewing Curious on an interactive whiteboard or projector, choose a video to evaluate and gather the important parts of the information. Small groups could each choose a different video. Have students create their own lessons in content areas using these as a model. As you teach about informational text, this is the perfect example of digital writing to convey information. Suggest this site at a parent night to help keep everyone lifetime learners. Be sure to post a link on your website for parents and students to access at home.

The Fun Theory is a collection of experiments captured on video to find out if making tasks more fun can change people's behavior. One of the most popular videos on The Fun Theory is a staircase in a subway station. The stairs were converted into working piano keys as a way to convince commuters to take the stairs over the escalator. Another test uses a game-based scenario to recycle bottles. Students and colleagues at all levels are subject to the same ineffective carrots-and-sticks. Why search around for methods to motivate when fun is the key to unlocking a world of possibilities? A contest also encourages visitors to upload their own applications of The Fun Theory. After watching the videos, you will see the evidence that appealing to an individual's intrinsic motivation is better on many levels. Make the road less traveled FUN! The collection of Fun Theory videos is an excellent resource to support game-based learning in your classroom. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable. You could always view the videos at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid reviewed here to download the videos from YouTube.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Are you looking to make learning fun? The Fun Theory collection of videos is a great collection of experiments to teach your class the Scientific Method. Use the videos to identify each step of the process. Share the videos on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Challenge your students to brainstorm their own Fun Theory ideas for school, home, or your community. In art or music class, brainstorm ways that you can use FUN methods to learn techniques. Use bubbl.us (reviewed here) to organize your ideas. Host your own Fun Theory competition, and invite community and school board members to vote on their favorite experiment. Spice up your traditional science fair project with a fun and engaging fun theory experiment. Use Animoto (reviewed here) or another presentation tool to show your Fun Theory experiment and results. Challenge your colleagues to create their own Fun Theory experiment to better the school environment for your students or staff. For Earth Day, make it a class project to design a Fun Theory way to change human behavior to promote greener practices. Explore these ideas in a psychology class about motivation or as part of a study skills unit so students find ways to motivate themselves for better work habits!

Just as the title states, Virtual Piano is a piano that you play via your computer. Adjust the different options to meet your needs and playing ability. Use Key Assist to display notes on the keys or turn it off to look just like a regular keyboard. Choose from several music sheets to get started playing some familiar tunes. If you want to change the look of the keyboard, choose "change style" to view in several different colors. The Record option even allows you to play back your music and hear your creations.

In the Classroom

Music teachers and students alike will delight in this site! Share this site on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Use this site to help students learn and practice piano and learn the keys. You don't even need to spend a dime to have a piano in your classroom. Use this tool in science class during units on sound to test different pitches and their frequencies.

What is Milq? This tool is like the Pinterest for videos, music, and information. This user-generated network can curate and organize "channels of culture" on the Internet. Organize content by specific topics. Organize material into collections called "beads." You create a specific bead by asking a general question such as "How to" or a topic such as "Powerful Poems." There are also beads for music of certain decades. Other Milq members contribute to these beads by adding video or audio clips. Star beads that you like and add them to collections. Add video and audio clips to beads that you find. Many of the videos are from YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable. Use a tool such as KeepVid, reviewed here, to download the videos from YouTube, but Milq will not allow you to save or share such downloads. Note: Be sure to view specific collections in advance before sharing with students. Even though offensive content was not found in the public gallery, that gallery is unmoderated.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Use this resource to collect or add specific video and audio content for any subject matter that can be shared in class. Use the existing beads to get a feel for a certain time period. (Our review team couldn't help listening to 80's music videos and reminiscing.) Since the tool is completely public, this tool is probably best used via a teacher-controlled account or by mature students with parent permission. Develop specific questions to answer about the time period as they are a time capsule of history. In a music or art class, view various beads about music genres to compare and contrast. Look at cultural/social influences on the music as well as the influence of the music on culture. In world language classes, you can collect a bead of videos for students to experience the pop culture of another land. If you search "education," you will find collections of videos about educational change and more. Use Milq to collect thought-provoking videos to use in professional development or to collect videos to support curriculum (and collaborate with other teachers on these collections).

Make reading a multimedia experience that today's students expect. Booktrack adds movie style soundtracks to favorite stories and books. You can add your own sound effects and music to the stories and books you love, too. There are thousands of titles already available, both classic and contemporary; these include novels, poetry, and short stories that are in the public domain. Find them by clicking "Free to Use" and scrolling down a bit. Creation is possible on your PC or MAC; read and listen only on the iOS and Android mobile apps. There are several ready-to-go lessons at elementary, middle, and high school levels. When using on a computer, BookTrack works best in Chrome and may not function at all in some browsers. Watch the short tutorials to learn how to create a book with a soundtrack.

In the Classroom

Click "Teachers" and scroll to the bottom of the home page to find free lessons. Work together with your music teacher to find classical music selections that make great background music. Have students choose a story and create a "read aloud" with music and sound effects. Challenge students to capture the feel or tone of current events articles, science articles, or poems they have created. Use music and sound effects to enhance historical events or battles in social science. At the end of literature circles, have students select the best events in a story and put music and sound effects together with them. Watch the short tutorials to create your class and to create a book with a soundtrack. FanFiction users may want to put sound effects or music to their own writing. In the library/media center, share BookTracks to interest students in some of your "old" books!

Create, share, and explore learning lists of web-based resources with LessonPaths (formerly MentorMobEDU). Similar to Pinterest, but in a slide show format. This site shows thumbnails of each resource. LessonPaths allows you to view and create "playlists." Browse through playlists by subject or keyword. Each playlist has links to online content correlated to the topics. As you browse through each playlist, choose Next to view an overview of each link. At the left side, roll over the list of steps to find out what to do at each stop on the playlist. Click within that link to go to the web content displayed. When ready, create an account and begin to create your own playlists.

In the Classroom

Browse to find ready-made activities for classroom use. Create your own playlists for organizing classroom resources found on the web along with tasks to do at each place. Create playlists for students to view and/or add to as a whole class activity. Some ideas include things that use energy, food groups, or groups of items for primary level vocabulary/practice (clothing items, farm animals, clock faces for telling time, etc.). In lower grades, create very simple sequences of activities for students to try from a class computer center or at home. Since your directions will require reading, keep it very simple! In higher grades, make playlists for different subjects or units where you collect videos, images, classroom blogs and websites, etc. Share your playlists with students and parents by putting the link on your class website. Have them work through the tasks at their own pace. Challenge your older students to create their own playlists with thought-provoking questions as a product from a research project. For example, they can compile information about a disease and how it is transmitted, asking questions at each resource. (What a great way for them to read informational text and then generate questions that go further!) Teachers of Gifted or regular ed teachers trying to design independent tasks for gifted students to do will love the flexibility of the playlist format.

Remind is a safe and easy way to send reminders to students and parents via text message or email. When sending a text, the site is set up so that students & parents do not see the teachers' phone numbers nor do the teachers see the students' phone numbers. Create an account. Any phone that can receive text messages will receive these. Communication through this site is safe and secure. You only see the names of your students, not their phone number, and they only see your name -- not your cell phone number. With Remind you can schedule reminders for the future, translate your message into 70 languages, send photos, PDFs, voice clips, and see who has read your messages.Be sure to obtain parental permission FIRST, as standard messaging rates apply.

In the Classroom

Set up accounts for all your classes, and even your extracurricular activities, to send homework, project, and supply reminders. Remind students of upcoming events, practices, or things they need to bring to class or practice. You could also use this to communicate with parents (allow them to sign up for text message updates at back to school night). Share this site the first week of school to save time throughout the entire year. Remind parents of big tests, report cards, field trips, deadlines, back to school night, sneaker days, conferences, and more. Set up a faculty reminder group within your school for emergency closures and more.

Looking for quick web pages that even students can author? Then "wiki-wiki" this way! (Wiki means quick in Hawaiian.) This is the one tried and true wiki to use. Create your own Wikispaces site by creating a site name. Educators get a free upgrade to a non-ad site, so remember to confirm it is for educational use. Enter your students manually (or upload a list). Students can also create an account and "join" your wiki. Use Settings to manage privacy settings for viewing and editing. Be sure to check out many of the settings that make Wikispaces versatile including the ability to lock pages so others do not edit them. Individual students can have their own page and/or belong to a group page. Check the participation of individual students in the group by checking the history of the page to "see" what each student edited at specific times. Choose traditional Wikispaces which looks like traditional sets of pages on a site. Also choose from the new Wikispaces Classroom (this can be done at any time and can be converted back to a traditional wiki as needed). In Wikispaces Classroom, members of your wiki can be assigned to various project groups the teacher creates. Set the privacy settings for each individual group or for all of them. If private, only members of that group can see their information. Create announcements, calendar events, discussions, and more for individuals, single groups, or all groups. Wikispaces Classroom takes interaction and management of student projects to a new level. As they work on an assigned project, the teacher can view the activity of each student including pages editing and viewing. Follow help videos or simply play to learn the simple wiki editing toolbar and settings. Creating a site has never been so easy. If you have not tried a wiki yet, visit the TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through for a step-by-step explanation, starter help, and practical management and safety tips. Be sure to check your district's Acceptable Use Policy. We recommend having parents and students sign a Wiki Warranty (downloadable here ), spelling out wiki behavior and consequences.

In the Classroom

Use this tool to create a collaborative space online with your students in any subject, allowing as many people to edit, make changes, and add new content. In its simplest use, use the wiki to post assignments by creating pages for each unit to place assignments. Enter these in text form, or upload documents/PowerPoints, teacher created videos, and other resources from around the web without having students leave the wiki to view. (Use the widget icon in the toolbar to paste the embed code of the resource you want to use). Weave your content around the many resources that can engage and connect learning in your classroom. When students create learning groups in your classroom, they can also create their own wiki page, documenting their learning within the page. For science, reporting about a lab can also include their digital graph, photos taken throughout the lab, and extensions of learning from the natural world. For Math, extend learning to the world around them such as determining circumferences of a variety of natural objects, etc. then reporting on them with pictures. Give students a problem and create a step by step tutorial on how to solve the problem. Students can embed their movie, podcast, PowerPoint, document, or even sets of images to show the solution. When answering discussion type questions, students can paste the link to the resources that they used. Create a wiki for art classes as a gallery showcase. Use with gifted students as a portfolio space. Use Wikispaces Classroom to create discussions (threaded discussions are to be developed soon) within groups or with the whole class. Discuss current events in Social Studies, ethics in Science or Civics, or create a literature circle in English. The uses of wikis are endless and can serve many different functions. Use for placing all your content on the web (great for absent students or for those who want to get ahead) while also creating some assignments that students can use with their individual pages and other assignments for their team pages. Student pages can be works in progress, allowing students to revisit and revise information whenever they want. Be sure to visit the TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through for dozens of ideas for using a wiki in the classroom.

Cosmo Learning aggregates an extensive library of subjects (42 total), courses (thousands to browse), video lectures, documentaries, images, books and other multimedia in dozens of subjects, all from sources all over the world. Their goal is to be a free online school. Subjects range from Anthropology to Entrepreneurship to Political Studies to Veterinarian Medicine. Find specific content using the search feature. You can also search using links to academic subjects or type of materials such as courses, documentaries, videos, or images. Registration isn't required, but allows you to save and rate features on the site. Be warned: there is a LOT to explore at this site! If your district blocks YouTube, videos may not be viewable. You could always view the videos at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid reviewed here to download the videos from YouTube.

In the Classroom

Use materials from Cosmo Learning as part of any unit or lesson plan. Use materials on the site for flipped lessons or share with gifted learners as an enhancement to current course content. Using the flipped classroom format is helpful if YouTube is blocked at your school. Share lessons on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Teachers of gifted can share this with their students whose interests fall outside typical school curriculum to encourage independent study or projects. Provide the link to this site on your class wiki or website for students (and families) to access anytime.

Stroll down memory lane with this huge archive of over 29,000 television theme songs! Scroll through the latest additions or browse by alphabetically. Use the download link to save a song clip to your computer or share using social networking links. In addition to finding clips, challenge yourself to Name That Theme Song with a lively one or two player game. Be sure to read the "Legal" tab to know what is and is not legal use of these copyrighted songs.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Add a little interest to classroom games by downloading and including game show clips (music) as part of your activity. Play a sound clip as a classroom management cue, such as for circle reading time with young ones (turn up the speakers). Share with students as a resource for audio clips to add to offline podcasts and multimedia presentations for educational purposes.

The Authentic History Center provides a catalog of popular culture images and primary sources from the 1600's throughout American history (final timeframe is 2009 - 2020). Explore by time period: World War I, The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb, Great Depression, and more. Artifacts range from posters to magazine covers to cartoons. There are also audio and video recordings. You can "hear" what popular music was like in the lead-in to World War II, for example. Many topics include a great deal of text to read and explore. Choose a specific time period and category such as photographs, music, or technology to explore content. Most sections include a short overview of the time period with links to artifacts. What makes this collection especially useful is the sorting and grouping they have done for you so you can choose and experience an era. A few of the video clips are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable. You could always view the videos at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid reviewed here to download the videos from YouTube. Most of the materials are Creative Commons licensed, so they can be used in multimedia projects if you give proper credit. Click the CC icon on the page where you find a clip or source to see specific rights.

In the Classroom

The Authentic History Center is excellent for making history real. Share this information on your projector or interactive whiteboard (or speakers) during lessons on any time period of US History. Play Bing Crosby singing "God Bless America" to help students feel the pre-WWII era or nationalism. Make the Angry era of McCarthyism real by letting student explore the collection. Include this entire collection on your class web page for students to access both in and out of class. Use the sources for students to experience a multi-sensory tour of any era in U.S. history and create their own project about it incorporating the artifacts (with proper credit) and their own explanations. They could create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Easel.ly, reviewed here or Venngage reviewed here. Have students create online posters about an era individually or together as a class using a tool such as Web Poster Wizard reviewed here or PicLits reviewed here. Have students create timelines (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Capzles reviewed here. If you participate in National History Day, this site is an outstanding start point. If you are the advisor for your high school play, bookmark this site as a great source for authentic era images and sounds. Need background music for a play (or video) set during WWII? Here it is!

Create free songs without musical talent! Simply record your voice (even talking and not singing!). This free site synchronizes your voice and its speed to a variety of different background music options. Change the style, tone, and pace of your voice. Save your song in MP3 format. At the time of this review, this site was still in Beta. Some of the videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable. You could always view the videos at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid reviewed here to download the videos from YouTube.

In the Classroom

Use this tool to create a song to explain a homework assignment or class concept. Afraid that your students will find it "strange" or "dorky"? What better way to get their attention and make something stick! Students will love to play around with this site and use it for creating projects. The creative potential is unlimited. Imagine if students were assigned the task to create a song to review a set of terms or a new concept, and they actually listened to the resulting files! Remember, the best way to learn content... is to teach about it! Have students write poems and recite them with musical accompaniment. For Dr. Suess birthday, try to make Suess-like poems about science, social studies, or math terms and setting them to music.

Create a 3-D animated cube where you choose the content for each of the sides. No membership is required. Your Brainy Box cube is viewable on any device - even iPads and other tablets. Click through the tutorial by clicking the numbers under the cube and learn the details! When you are ready to create your own, click the New button to begin. Edit using standard web tools and click on a different cube face number to continue editing. Save your creation with a password to retrieve later. Be sure to save the url somewhere you can find it! Some of the introductory videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable. You could always view the videos at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid reviewed here to download the videos from YouTube.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Create a cube with various aspects of information about curriculum content to be shared with students. Even the non-readers could navigate a teacher-created cube if videos (or graphics) are included instead of words. Use a Brainy Box cube to give directions and examples to a specific project assigned to students. Create a cube about a particular person or event from history. Decide on the parameters for each of the sides of the cube before assigning. Create a cube to include specific information from characters in novels. Create a Brainy box to include related images or words. Students can brainstorm how these images or words are related. Assign a Brainy Box with student's favorite artwork and reasons chosen from their work through the year. Use a Brainy Box as a visual aid for student presentations. Challenge students to create their own Brainy Box on nearly any subject. Some additional ideas shared from Brainy Box: Produce a "Who" cube with an image and five key aspects of a character; Summarize a key topic with two facts, two images, and two videos; and Summarize a key event looking at different times in history. The possibilities here are endless! See more ideas in this review of a similar tool (3D Photo Cube) that creates a cube of still images.

Howcast is an aggregator of the "best" how-to videos across the Internet. These short, easy to follow videos cover a wide range of topics, including pop-culture. They are created by HowCast "experts." One very handy feature is the text transcript included with each video (scroll down to see it). Browse through the categories or type a search term into the search box to view available videos. Categories include Fitness, Home, Food, Health, Arts, Tech, and more. Click "Share" on each video page to share via social networking sites or copy the embed code to share the video on a website or blog. The HowCast videos are not simply YouTube searches, so they have different offerings from what you might find there. Not all content at this site is appropriate for the classroom. Please be sure to preview before you share with your students. This is not one that you want students to explore on their own. This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

The brief video clips on this site make it ideal for use when introducing or researching information. View together on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Cue up and pause your video at a point AFTER the opening ad to save class time! Embed onto your class website or blog for students to view at home. Use the transcripts as examples of how-to speeches and have students both read and watch to analyze the details of how to organize such a speech before making their own videos or giving live informational speeches. Bookmark and save for use as How To questions arise throughout the year. For example, if you have a question about using Microsoft Excel, search Howcast to find about 30 videos explaining different tools and tricks within the program. Preview any search results before sharing with the class. Use Howcast videos as examples in any subject area and challenge cooperative learning groups to create videos and share them on a site such as TeacherTube reviewed here.

Letters of Note is a blog that shares letters from a book of the same name, but you never have to buy the book! The collection includes over 900 interesting letters from many different sources such as Leonardo da Vinci's 's job application, a letter from Steve Albini to the band Nirvana, and Virginia Woolf's suicide letter. Start from the archives to find over 900 more examples sorted in different ways such as typed/handwritten, by date, name, or correspondence type. Or click in the sidebar to access most popular or even view a random letter. Most letters include an image along with a short description of the context of the correspondence included. Letters include the original language so be sure to read for yourself before sharing with students.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Find letters from authors to read when studying their novels. Choose letters from different time periods to share with students as an authentic look at life during that time (primary sources!). Have students share what they learned using a tool such as Zeemaps, reviewed here. Zeemaps allows students to create audio recordings AND choose a location (on a map) where the story takes place. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about a president, famous scientist, or nearly any other real or fictitious person.